Cochereau, Pierre
Cochereau, Pierre
Cochereau, Pierre, eminent French organist, pedagogue, and composer; b. St. Mandé, near Paris, July, 9, 1924; d. Lyons, March 5, 1984. He studied piano with Marius-François Gaillard and Marguerite Long (1933–36), and then organ with Marie-Louise Girod (1938) and Paul Delafosse (1941); in 1944 he entered the Paris Cons., where he took lessons in organ with Dupré, in harmony with Henri Challón and Duruflé, in fugue with N. Gallon, in composition with Aubin, and in music history with Dufourcq, winning various prizes. From 1942 to 1954 he was organist at St. Roch in Paris. In 1955 he became organist at Notre Dame in Paris, which position he held with great distinction for the rest of his life. He also made numerous recital tours of Europe, North and South America, Japan, and Australia, winning critical acclaim for his mastery of improvisation. He also served as director of the conservatories in Le Mans (1950–56), Nice (1961–80), and Lyons (from 1980). Among his works were a Sym. (1957), two organ concertos, a Piano Quintet, and various solo organ pieces.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire